Sliding-door fastener.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907. H.-P. MACDONALD. SLIDING DOOR FASTENER.

APPLIUATION ruin) JAN. 2, 1907..

- Ma ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c

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HARRY P. MACDONALD, OF MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SNEAD & COMPANY IRON WORKS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SLIDING-DOOR FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

T0 (10% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY P. MACDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Sliding-Door Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fastener designed more particularly for sliding doors and comprises pivoted catches adapted to engage a keeper and connected through a toggle joint with a movable spindle or post, the parts being assembled in such relation that a move ment of the spindle in a given-direction effects the release of the catches from the keeper and the opening of the door. The catches may be pivoted directly upon the door or upon a plate or casing adapted to be secured to the door. Likewise the keeper may be secured directly to the door or to a plate or casing as may be preferred. The catches are held normally in closed relation preferably by a spring which acts through the movable spindle, a movement of the spindle against the stress of the spring separating or opening the catches to permit them to escape the keeper and also permit the rearward movement of the door.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of the invention in which Figure 1 is a side View showing the door partly opened; Fig. 2 a similar view with the casings which inclose the working parts in section; Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the plane of the line 3, 3, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a detail view of a modification.

Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates part of a sliding door and 2 the jamb. In the form illustrated the parts are mounted upon casings or plates adapted to be secured to the door and jamb. The advantage of such construction is that the lock may be assembled in commercial form and applied in position by a set of screws without cutting the door. I may, however, as above stated, secure the catches and keeper directly to the door and j amb respectively. In the construction illustrated the casing 3 having integral therewith a keeper 4 is secured to the side of the jamb at a convenient point, the casing being open ended to permit of the entry thereinto of the outer arms of the catches.

Secured to the side of the door with proper relation to the casing 3 is an open ended casing 5 of suitable form and adapted to support the parts now to be described.

6, 6, designate two similar or complemental catches pivotally mounted on studs 7 secured to and projecting from the inner wall of casing 5 The outer arms of said catches project beyond the open end of casing 5 and each is formed with a head or hook 8 adapted to rest against the side of the keeper when the door is closed, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2. The inner arms of said catches diverge and at their ends are pivotally connected to links 9, said links at their other ends being pivotally mounted on a post or spindle 10, it being noted that each catch and its connected link constitute an ordinary toggle joint. The spindle 10 projects through a slot 11 in the wall of casing 5 and is provided with a suitable handle 12.

Fastened at one end to a small plate 13 supported on the spindle 10 and at the other to a stud 14 projecting from the inner wall of cas ing 5 is a coiled spring 15 which normally acts to hold the spindle 10 against the left hand wall of slot 11, and through the links 9 to maintain the outer arms of the catches in closed position.

The operation of the lock will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the door is closed and to effect its opening the spindle 10 is moved to the right in slot 11, the spindle carrying with it the links 9 against the pull of spring 15. This movement of the links draws the ends of the inner arms of the catches toward each other thus rocking the catches on their fulcra and causing the hooked ends to separate a sufficient distance to escape the keeper 4, when by maintaining the pressure of spindle 10 against the right hand wall of slot 11 the door may be moved to the right. When the door is moved sufliciently to enable the hooks or heads 8 to escape the keeper the spindle may be released when the parts will resume their normal positions as indicated in Fig. 1. i

The keeper 4 is of general triangular shape in section with the apex toward the door and the upper and lower sides slightly rounded as of the heads 8 are also preferably rounded to enable them to ride easily over the sides of I the keeper in the act of closing the door. At

such time the spindle 10 will be moved to the right through the connecting links 9, the.

parts assuming the position indicated in Fig. 2 when the door is completely closed.

The inner arms of the catches 6 may be made longer than the outer or hooked arms to obtain the advantage of the increased leverage to insure the release of the latter from the keeper. This, however, is not an essential feature of the invention.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form in which a leaf spring 16 is set into the inner arms of the catches 17, the latter having seats 18 adapted to receive and retain the ends of the spring. The spring 1.6 acts to normally hold the outer arms of the catches in closed position. Also instead of pivoting the catches on separate studs I may mount them as indicated in Fig. 4 on a single stud. This brings the pivotal point of the catches within the base of the keeper, said construction being also illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as the distance between the centers of the studs 7 is less than the base of the keeper. This is of advantage in that. a pull tending to open the door will cause the catches to engage the keeper with a firmer grip. If the distance between the centers of the pivotal studs should be greater than the base of the keeper a pull exerted along a line passing between said studs would tend to open. or separate the catches.

T o prevent the accidental movement of spindle 10 to the right I may provide a hook 19 pivoted upon the outside of the casing and adapted to engage said spindle or the shank of handle 12, the operator swinging said hook backward when it is desired to open the door.

The fastener described is extremely simple in construction, comprising as its main elements two ordinary toggle joints adapted to the particular work required. Owing to the few parts employed the liability of derangement is greatly reduced, and owing to the yielding relation between the parts breakage is prevented.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. In a fastener of the character described the combination of pivoted catches adapted to engage a keeper, links connected to the in-- nected, said parts being secured to the door in such relation that the movement of the spindle in a given direction Will release the catches from the keeper and effect the opening of the door.

2. In a fastener of the character described the combination of pivoted catches adapted to engage a keeper, links connected to the inner arms of said catches a movable spindle to which the other ends of said links are connected, and means to hold the outer arms of said catches 1n normally closed position.

3. In a fastener of the character described the combination of pivoted catches adapted to engage a keeper, links connected to the inner arms of said. catches a movable spindle to which the other ends of said links are connected, and a spring attached to a fixed point at one end and at the other end to said spindle to thereby hold the outer arms of the catches in normally closed position.

4. In a fastener of the character described the combination of pivoted catches adapted to engage a keeper, said catches being bent so that the inner'arms thereof diverge from each other, a movable spindle, links connected at one end to said divergent arms and at their other ends to said spindle, means for holding the outer arms of said catches in normally closed position, and means to permit the movement of said spindle in a given direction to release the catches from the keeper and to open the door.

'5. In a fastener of the character described the combination of a casing or plate adapted to be secured to a door, catches pivotally mounted on said casing and adapted to e11- gage a keeper, a movable spindle, said casing having a slot through which said spindle projects, links connecting said spindle and catches, whereby when the spindle is moved in a given direction against one wall of said slot the catches will be released from the keeper and the door opened. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY I MACDONALD. Witnesses:

RoBr. W. ASHLEY, M. E. MONINOH. 

